I never thought I’d be here—balancing work, my kids, and the unpredictable waves of my sister’s mental illness.

I’m not a doctor. I’m not a therapist. I’m just her sister.  But somewhere along the way, I became her lifeline.

 

The hardest part isn’t the late-night phone calls, the missed holidays, or even the ER visits—it’s the constant not knowing.

 

Not knowing which mood I’ll walk into.
Not knowing who to call when things start spiraling. Not knowing if I’m even helping or making things worse.  The system is confusing. The rules are unclear. And I feel invisible in it all.

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Then I found someone who understood—the Shugosha community who’d been through the same storms and actually mapped the way through.

They didn’t just listen. They showed me how to:

• Recognize the warning signs before a crisis

• Navigate the maze of insurance, doctors, and paperwork

• Take care of my own mental health without guilt

They had been where I was, and they had a plan.

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They broke it down into three simple steps:

1. Learn how the mental health system really works

2. Connect with a small, trusted caregiver community

3. Act with confidence when challenges come

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Finally—something I could follow without drowning in information.

They told me, “You can keep trying to figure it out alone… or you can attend.”
It wasn’t a sales pitch. It was a lifeline.
So I registered.

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Because I knew what the alternative looked like:
More sleepless nights.
More guessing at what to do.
More watching my sister suffer because I didn’t know the right next step.

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Now, I’m still her sister. I’m still her caregiver.
But I’m not alone.
When the phone rings at 2 a.m., I have a plan. I have people I can call.
And most importantly—I have hope.

Because while I can’t control her illness, I can be the steady, prepared, loving presence she needs."

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~ Jenny Halverson

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